On Thursday 26th November the South Dublin County Council Budget for 2021 was passed at a meeting held in Tallaght Stadium.
Local People Before Profit Councillor, Madeleine Johansson commented after the budget meeting “Made with the Covid crisis as a backdrop the budget presented an opportunity to shift the cost of public services provision
from ordinary people to big business The People Before Profit- Solidarity councillors proposed to increase rates by 50% for rate payers paying over €500,000. This would affect 0.4% of rate payers
or 26 in total. The measure could have raised approximately €20.6 million in revenue for the council. This money could be used for a wide variety of public services, such as community facilities or much needed”. maintenance work on council homes.
“Unfortunately, the amendment was defeated and instead a proposal to increase rents for some council tenants was voted in by the ruling group of Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and the Green Party. The 10% increase in rents will affect all households whose total net income is above the current social housing income threshold. Those households will now pay an extra 10% on all income above the limit. This penalises households living in overcrowded conditions with multiple adults working. A household with 3 adults and a combined net income of over €65 000pa will be paying an extra €250 per month. This is deeply unfair and creates a two-tier system of council tenants”.
“In these times of crisis we need real change in society, we need to tax big business and the rich so that we can provide decent public services for all. The 2021 SDCC Budget is more of the same; hand-outs to big business paid for by ordinary people” the Councillor concluded.
